Getting personal pays off

ALL IN THE FAMILY: From left, Corey, Roy and Alex Finkelman converse at The Egis Group, a family-owned property and casualty insurance agency. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
ALL IN THE FAMILY: From left, Corey, Roy and Alex Finkelman converse at The Egis Group, a family-owned property and casualty insurance agency. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

In a marketplace where big insurers like Geico connect directly with consumers, The Egis Group has gained a foothold as an independent property and casualty insurance agency linking insurers and consumers.

Built largely on word-of-mouth referrals over the past 40 years, the family-owned-and-operated company does very little marketing, say the two owners, Roy Finkelman, president, and his son and vice president, Alex.

“We have over 100 years of combined insurance experience on our staff,” the company president said.

In a changing marketplace, The Egis Group’s longevity and independent expertise are its hallmarks, the Finkelmans say.

- Advertisement -

“We offer advice, guidance and the ability to work with more than 20 different carriers to find the best fit for each individual business owner,” said Alex Finkelman, noting that Nationwide has just been added into the mix. “Most of our customers have our personal cellphone [numbers].”

Using the tagline “innovative insurance solutions since 1975,” The Egis Group offers business insurance, personal lines, consulting, retirement planning, life insurance and employee-benefits services. Of its 3,000 clients, about 1,000 are businesses and the rest are individuals, the owners say.

“We are a detail-oriented company and thorough, and we pride ourselves in knowing more than our competitors,” said Alex Finkelman.

In 1975, Roy Finkelman’s father, Gerald, and his mother, the late Dorothy Finkelman, founded the company, and Roy joined them in 1981 after getting a sociology degree at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. Maternal grandfather Lester Emers also was a co-founder. The company started out with about 100 clients, Roy Finkelman said.

Joining his parents “seemed like the right thing to do since my father and mother left another firm to start this business, and I felt compelled to help them along,” Roy Finkelman said.

In 1990, he became president, taking over for his father, who became and remains chairman. While Roy Finkelman runs day-to-day operations, his father oversees the firm and works with VIP clients. Alex Finkelman became vice president in 2010.

Other family members who work for the firm include Roy Finkelman’s brother, Alan, a commercial-lines account manager, and son, Corey, director of marketing.

An important addition to the business is Ben Hall, who formed the Egis Consulting division, which specializes in finding savings for businesses – on average, $12,000 a year for a company with 30 employees, the Finkelmans said.

Started in October, the division examines more than 20 indirect operating expenses, including energy, telecommunications and payroll processing, and recommends ways to save money. So far, 100 customers have benefited from the work, Alex Finkelman said.

“The business proposition is, if we can’t save you money we don’t get paid,” he said. “We ask for 50 percent of first-year savings as a one-time fee.” •

No posts to display